Juneathon Day 8 – Bench Press

It felt just like yesterday I welcomed the weekend in and now we’re already parting ways again. What a shame; I could use some more recovery time. Juneathon Day 8 activities were simple, an early but fast 5 k. My NTC program called for a fast 3 mile run so I have to round up and do the full 5k because I live in a metric world. I had a fantastic run for being extremely tired and having super sore legs from 2 days ago! It was a bit my fault, I stayed up to watch the Cotto vs Martinez fight and boy was it great! I’m beginning to find a new love for Boxing… I’ve learned how to wrap my hands and proper jabs…. But, back to my run… this was a “fast” run, not one of the “steady” runs. How was I ever going to pull this off? I figured, just run, who cares if it ends up being fast or steady, I just need to cover the distance. I knew I was slowing down in kilometer 2 and 3 because of all the hills on the path I take, so I told myself to just keep calm and run on. Keep pushing. Keep going. After reaching 3 KMs, I looked at my watch and realized, hey, I’m not doing so bad, a little better than my average, let’s step it up and make this a fast 5 k! In the end, I finished one of my fastest 5 k runs in quite some time! I know I normally don’t want to bore you with the stats since I’m considered a “slow” runner but I am super proud of myself so I’d like to share I ran a 7’07” pace (my average being tracked right now shows 7’42″/km) and I completed the 5 k in 35:40 (mm:ss)!!! This is super exciting because I have been running most of my 5k races in the last year around the 37 minute range. Last Sunday I thought I had a fantastic 5 K (which I still believe I did at the time) and that was 36:46! I’ve shaved off an entire minute in a week!!! Is this possible??? This honestly, has to be the work of all the cross-training/weight training/NTC exercises and workouts I have been completing throughout the week. I am just so happy that I am so close to breaking that 35 minute mark again. I think it’s been almost 2 years since I’ve been able to run a 5k under 35 but I can feel it coming!!!!

Okay, so what you’re really here for is probably a tip or an exercise that will help with being a better, happier, and healthier you. This is of course one of my go-to’s and favourite weight exercises, the flat Bench Press with Dumbbells. This exercise is great for your biceps and triceps, as well as pecs and front shoulders (anterior deltoid) if you’re trying to work those out.

Here’s how to Bench Press with Dumbbells:1. Start with your back laid down on a bench with weights in your hands (I am currently using 10 lbs)
2. Keep your elbows bent a little past 90° and dumbbells horizontal to your body aligned with your chest
3. Push your arms straight up so the dumbbells meet in front of you
4. Pull your arms back down and repeat (I do reps of 10 for 2 times each night after a workout)

There’s a few different variations to this with how you rest your feet or how you’re angled. Do a little research of your own and testing to figure out what works best for you. Don’t hurt yourself though!